TPi May 2019

Business & market news

Polypipe welcomes royal visitor Polypipe, a manufacturer of piping solutions, underfloor heating and energy-efficient ventilation, has been given a royal seal of approval during a visit by HRH the Princess Royal. the National College for High Speed Rail, to experience Polypipe’s integrated manufacturing process, including a mix of local labour, robotics, manufacturing integration and environmental consciousness.

and success of the many flourishing companies we have here.” Polypipe develops sustainable engi- neered water management and climate management solutions for the built environment. The company operates across 18 sites in the UK, Italy and the Middle East. Polypipe – UK www.polypipe.com

The princess was escorted on a guided tour of one of the company’s manufacturing sites in Doncaster, UK, by Polypipe chief executive Martin Payne, chief operating officer Glen Sabin and Polypipe Building Products managing director Cameron McLellan. Other dignitaries included Doncaster Central MP Dame Rosie Winterton, and Andrew Coombe, Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, who coordinated the event with Buckingham Palace to showcase the town’s business successes. The 85-minute visit included seeing Polypipe’s training and moulding facilities in action, and a talk on the history of the business and its sustainability objectives. Her Royal Highness also unveiled a plaque to commemorate her attendance, before being handed a bouquet of flowers by Mr McLellan’s daughters, Charlotte and Isabelle. The visit was part of a tour of the town, which also included a trip to

Mr Payne commented, “Doncaster has developed a thriving business community and we are incredibly proud to be a part of the town’s progress. The princess’s visit is testament to hard work

HRH the Princess Royal at Polypipe’s Doncaster facility

Oil and natural gas pipe demand to grow Demand for oil and natural gas pipe is forecast to grow 11 per cent annually to $15.4bn in 2022 – a strong recovery from severe declines seen during the 2012-2017 period, according to ‘Pipe: Products & Markets’, a new study from The Freedonia Group, USA. the 2012-2017 period, weak domestic demand for oil and gas pipe and a surge of steel pipe imports – particularly of OCTG – held prices down. through to 2022 and is forecast to post the fastest growth of any market due to an expected rebound in drilling activity.

Increased building construction activity will support demand in a variety of markets, including water distribution, conduit and DWV pipe. The potable water and storm and sanitary sewer markets are expected to offer the best growth opportunities for plastic pipe, as plastic pipe costs less, is easier to install, and is more resistant to corrosion than metal types. The Freedonia Group – USA

Going forward, producers will likely raise prices for oil and gas pipe due to increased drilling activity and an expected reduction in import competition brought on by the Trump administration’s 25 per cent tariff on steel and recent anti-dumping measures. Demand for pipe overall is forecast to advance 6.6 per cent annually to $51.1bn in 2022, rebounding strongly from declines posted during the 2012- 2017 period. The oil and gas market will remain the largest outlet for pipe

Growth will be driven by an expected increase in drilling activity as oil prices continue to recover from 2016 lows. Increased well completion in key fields like the Permian Basin is supporting gains for OCTG, while bottlenecks in such productive areas are encouraging pipeline construction. Growth will also be supported by a modest recovery in pricing. During

info@freedoniagroup.com www.freedoniagroup.com

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May 2019 TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL